Filmmaker Kiran Rao's Laapataa Ladies has been selected as India's official entry in the Best Foreign Film Category for the Oscars 2025. The comedy-drama movie was chosen as India's official Oscar entry from 29 films, which included Ranbir Kapoor's Animal, Vicky Kaushal's Sam Bahadur, Prabhas' Kalki 2898 AD, National Award film Aattam and Payal Kapadia's All We Imagine As Light, a Cannes winner.
Aamir Khan's second film selected for Oscars
Laapataa Ladies is produced by Aamir Khan and also his ex-wife Kiran Rao. This is not the first time Aamir's film has been selected as India's official entry for the Oscars. In 2002, Lagaan was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film but lost to Bosnia's No Man's Land at the 74th Academy Awards.
It will be intriguing to see if Aamir's film will finally secure an Oscar win. The Oscars are scheduled to take place in March 2025.
Aamir Khan expressing disappointment to Lagaan's lost
A few years ago, Aamir stated that he was 'disappointed' when Lagaan lost at the Oscars. He was quoted saying, "I often get asked, ‘how disappointed were you for not winning the Oscar’? Of course, I was disappointed. I would have liked to win. Many have asked me if the songs and length of the film was an issue for the Academy members? The fact that the film was nominated and was in the top five, says that the members loved it. It’s not easy to be nominated," added the 3 Idiots actor.
Lagaan was directed by Ashutosh Gowariker.
Kiran Rao's reaction
Reacting to Laapataa Ladies being selected as India's official entry, Kiran said, "I am deeply honoured and delighted that our film ‘Laapataa Ladies’ has been chosen as India’s official entry to the Academy Awards. This recognition is a testament to the tireless work of my entire team, whose dedication and passion brought this story to life. Cinema has always been a powerful medium to connect hearts, transcend boundaries, and ignite meaningful conversations. I hope that this film will resonate with audiences across the world, just as it has in India."
"I am deeply honoured and delighted that our film ‘Laapataa Ladies’ has been chosen as India’s official entry to the Academy Awards. This recognition is a testament to the tireless work of my entire team, whose dedication and passion brought this story to life. Cinema has always been a powerful medium to connect hearts, transcend boundaries, and ignite meaningful conversations. I hope that this film will resonate with audiences across the world, just as it has in India," she added.